CINCINNATI—Solomon Wilcots remembers the first time he saw Geno Atkins in a Bengals uniform during training camp in 2010.

“I’ve been around a lot of talented defensive linemen including Tim Krumrie. In terms of talent and the mindset and impact this guy is a difference maker,” said Wilcots, a former Bengals defensive back and now an NFL analyst. “Marvin (Lewis) had been hoping for a lot of years for this type of three-technique player. He got the people to understand the player he is.”

In his third season, Atkins is one of the top defensive tackles in the league. His 12 1/2 sacks this season is nearly twice as many as Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh, who has seven.

Atkins has also set the single-season sack record by a Bengals interior defensive lineman, formerly held by Dan Wilkinson, who had eight in 1995. The 12 1/2 sacks are the third-most in team history.

With the way he can dominate a game, Atkins should be in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year, but he understands why he hasn't received as much recognition.

“You usually get the grunt work and not 19 or 20 sacks,” Atkins said. “J.J. Watt, Von Miller and Aldon Smith are tremendous players and I have to give them all the credit. They are playing more of the glamour positions and deserve the national attention.”

While the aforementioned players are in the top three in the league in sacks, Atkins can also dominate a game. The best two examples have come during the second half of this season as the Bengals won seven of their final eight games to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in 30 years.

During the first series of the Week 11 game against Oakland, Atkins blew by Oakland right guard Mike Brisiel and pile drove Carson Palmer into the turf for a sack. In the Week 16 win at Pittsburgh, which wrapped up a playoff berth, Atkins had two sacks as Ben Roethlisberger was frequently under pressure. It was one of three multi-sack games for Atkins this season.

While Atkins was second in Pro Bowl fan voting to Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata, he got more votes from the coaches and players to be named a starter.

There weren’t any doubts about Atkins making it this year, but A.J. Green still did some campaigning before the vote was announced, saying: “I don’t understand what it is going to take for Geno to be mentioned as one of the best D-tackles in the game. He’s just dominating game after the game. If he don’t make the Pro Bowl this year, I’m boycotting.”

Atkins’ success can be attributed to a variety of different factors. At 6-foot-1, 300 pounds, he doesn’t have the size of a prototypical defensive tackle, but he does have great strength and quickness.

“He’s a really, really strong guy for a smaller player. That’s what takes him to a whole other level. It is hard to deal with a guy who’s below you and under you. It’s hard to get your hands down there to control him,” Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth said.

Another big factor in Atkins' success is the depth in the defensive line. Of the Bengals' 51 sacks during the regular season, all but nine were by the line. Atkins and Michael Johnson, who had 11 1/2 sacks, were the first Bengals duo with double-digit sacks since 1981.

Because the Bengals can go 6-7 players deep on their defensive front, that usually wears opposing offensive lines down during a game. Baltimore offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell said it's difficult to double team Atkins consistently because of the different looks the Bengals give.

“The guy is maybe one of the most powerful interior linemen that you’ll ever see. Obviously, it’s tough to get sacks from the interior, and when you get the number of sacks that he’s had from his position, you know he’s something special,” Caldwell said. “Obviously, you better pay attention to him and know where he is, and you better try to do a few things to kind of help control him, because he can disrupt the entire ballgame.”

As a fourth-round pick out of Georgia in 2010, Atkins came in with a chip on his shoulder. Besides the small stature, there were some pre-draft reports saying Atkins took plays off during this senior year.

Atkins was disappointed he went lower than he expected, but his parents both told him it didn’t matter—it was what he did with his opportunity once he got in the league.

Atkins played every game his rookie year but made only one start and had three sacks. Last season, when Tank Johnson was released less than a week into training camp, Atkins moved into the starting lineup and has been there since.

While many have tried to describe Atkins—he has been compared to the Tasmanian Devil by some—Atkins describes himself as “someone who plays within the scheme and doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”

Atkins and the Bengals will face Houston in the AFC wild-card round in a rematch of last year’s game won by the Texans 31-10. Houston could double team or slide its protection toward Atkins, but pass blocking has been a struggle lately with Matt Schaub getting sacked 12 times in the past four games.

The Bengals are making their fourth postseason trip under Marvin Lewis and third in the past four years, but they're still searching for their first postseason win in 21 seasons.

“Each year I have a goal set in my head that I want to do, look at the film from last year and get better on the stuff I need to improve on,” Atkins said. “I’ve accomplished almost everything I’ve set out to do this year. I think I’m finally getting respect around the league of what I show out there on the field.”